 "Tribal leaders complain over BJD ticket distribution in Koraput, Sundergarh")
Two tribal leaders from Koraput and Sundergarh today conveyed their objection over selection of candidates for Kotpad and Birmitrapur assembly constituencies to party president Naveen Patnaik.
They demanded immediate change of the nominees, Ashok Pangi (Kotpad) and Sanjeev Pratap Deo (Biramitrapur). “The Chief Minister has assured us to look into the matter. Kotpad BJD workers cannot accept the candidature of Pangi,” said Padmini Dian (27), a tribal women leader of the party from the area.
“More workers from Kotpad will reach here if the party does not take any decision soon,” she added.
“The party lost the Kotpad seat in 2009 as it fielded a candidate who was an outsider. This time also Pangi is going to lose because he is not from the community that is in majority in this constituency,” said Dian, who is from Badra tribal community that enjoys large presence in there.
The nomination of party candidate for Biramitrapur assembly seat also sparked protests from tribal groups of Sundergarh questioned caste eligibility of nominee, Sanjeeb Pratap Singh Deo for this reserved constituency.
“An old land sale deed shows that Deo belongs to upper caste Khandayat. How can he contest from a seat that is reserved for ST (scheduled tribes),” asked Suleman Ekka, a BJD sarpanch and an aspirant for the assembly seat. Ekka said, he has support letters of several other sarpanch from Sundergarh district claiming that Deo has a forged caste certificate. He said, he would meet Patnaik soon to inform him about the discrepancy along with a copy of the land sale deed.
Pratap Deo, who as per Election Commission of India record belong to ST community, was a BJD candidate for 2009 polls also, but lost to independent candidate George Tirkey then.
This is not the first time that BJD leaders and workers have expressed their anger openly. The ruling party today made changes in the candidate name for Kabisuryanagar assembly constituency, after several party workers staged protest objecting to denial of party ticket to veteran leader V Sugnani Kumari Deo.
They demanded immediate change of the nominees, Ashok Pangi (Kotpad) and Sanjeev Pratap Deo (Biramitrapur). “The Chief Minister has assured us to look into the matter. Kotpad BJD workers cannot accept the candidature of Pangi,” said Padmini Dian (27), a tribal women leader of the party from the area.
“More workers from Kotpad will reach here if the party does not take any decision soon,” she added.
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Pangi was earlier expected to be nominated for Koraput Lok Sabha constituency, after his father and current MP expressed his desire to not contest the polls for health reasons. However, the party later dropped the idea based on internal surveys and chose to field him from Kotpad an assembly constituency instead.
“The party lost the Kotpad seat in 2009 as it fielded a candidate who was an outsider. This time also Pangi is going to lose because he is not from the community that is in majority in this constituency,” said Dian, who is from Badra tribal community that enjoys large presence in there.
The nomination of party candidate for Biramitrapur assembly seat also sparked protests from tribal groups of Sundergarh questioned caste eligibility of nominee, Sanjeeb Pratap Singh Deo for this reserved constituency.
“An old land sale deed shows that Deo belongs to upper caste Khandayat. How can he contest from a seat that is reserved for ST (scheduled tribes),” asked Suleman Ekka, a BJD sarpanch and an aspirant for the assembly seat. Ekka said, he has support letters of several other sarpanch from Sundergarh district claiming that Deo has a forged caste certificate. He said, he would meet Patnaik soon to inform him about the discrepancy along with a copy of the land sale deed.
Pratap Deo, who as per Election Commission of India record belong to ST community, was a BJD candidate for 2009 polls also, but lost to independent candidate George Tirkey then.
This is not the first time that BJD leaders and workers have expressed their anger openly. The ruling party today made changes in the candidate name for Kabisuryanagar assembly constituency, after several party workers staged protest objecting to denial of party ticket to veteran leader V Sugnani Kumari Deo.